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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rash — a series

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