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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: field · wake · mug · spring · root · pound · rest · staff

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — for sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a face
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — a subject
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — farmland

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