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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. row — a line
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — the cause
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — to paddle

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