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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — the cause
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a word
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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