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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cap — a lid
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — music
  13. root — of a word
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wind — moving air

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