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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chair — a leader
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. root — the cause
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kid — child
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. foot — a measure

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