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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — the underground
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. cold — not warm
  19. tube — a container
  20. wake — a trail
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — to lash out

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