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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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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 · hand · wake · leaves · snap · firm · content · cap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. firm — a company
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — happy
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — decided
  9. root — of a word
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — of a plant
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hand — part of the body

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