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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. track — a song
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — soda
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — to dunk

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