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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: wake · safe · stick · rock · snap · wound · rash · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. snap — to click
  3. rash — a series
  4. root — the cause
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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