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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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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: root · wake · rock · net · pass · last · cell · dip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — music
  4. last — final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. last — finally
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — for catching
  18. root — the cause
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. net — after costs

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