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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. club — for golf
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. suit — in cards
  24. root — of a word

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