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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — magic
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wake — a trail
  14. root — of a plant
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com