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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 116 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — for a lock
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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