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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a word
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — to cut
  8. root — of a plant
  9. clip — for paper
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bank — of a river

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