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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — hasty
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — for digging
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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