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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — steady
  9. band — a music group
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — the cause
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. wake — a trail
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — music
  24. spring — of water

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