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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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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: staff · root · wake · object · mug · fork · fall · nail

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — the cause
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — a trail
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. fork — in a road
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — to protest

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