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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 124 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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to click
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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