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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to sink
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — the earth
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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