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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — a subject
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — all right
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — hurry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. root — of a word
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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