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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — final

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