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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — soda
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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