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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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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: dip · stick · jam · trunk · coach · date · wake · root

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. root — the cause
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. date — the fruit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wake — a trail

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