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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. shower — to wash
  12. present — the time now
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — the cause
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — a face
  20. wake — a trail
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mug — a cup

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