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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a grade
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chair — a leader
  8. degree — an amount
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — to drop

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