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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — to crush
  22. tear — to rip
  23. can — to be able to
  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