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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 · mouse · sharp · last · tear · leaves · bound · wake

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — finally
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — certain
  12. root — of a word
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. last — final

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