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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: mark · wake · root · kid · staff · sharp · hand · trunk

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. root — of a word
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wake — a trail
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kid — child
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a grade
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hand — help

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