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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a word
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mug — a face
  18. root — the cause
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — to be able to

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