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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 124 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bound — tied together
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — the season
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — certain
  24. root — the cause

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