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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · wake · root · stick · present · ruler

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. root — the cause
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — the time now
  8. root — of a word
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — there
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — a trail

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