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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — to come down
  24. foot — a measure

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