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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — clever
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. root — of a word
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — a trail
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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