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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · mug · roll · root · tube · mine · degree · wake

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. degree — temperature
  3. root — of a word
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tube — a container
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mug — a face
  17. chest — of your body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — a list
  21. degree — from a university
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — before a funeral

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