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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — for catching
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — after costs
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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