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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — there
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. present — a gift
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — the time now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — a measure
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — part of the body

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