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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — a trace
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — rain
  22. file — a tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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