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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 116 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: rash · firm · root · staff · field · wake · mouse · lie

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — a company
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. field — farmland
  9. root — of a plant
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — employees

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