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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chest — a box
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chest — of your body
  17. root — of a word
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — to roll

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