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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 · fall · bear · ruler · fork · bass · wake · hide

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — in a road
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a word
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — animal skin

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