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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — the cause
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — of a plant
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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