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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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468
Word bank
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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. root — the cause
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cold — not warm
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a plant
  16. present — the time now
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — a gift
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — there
  24. cold — an illness

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