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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — the cause
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — not warm
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — a container
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. hand — in cards
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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