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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 120 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: perch · root · staff · wake · row · race · deal · fan

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — a stick
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — the cause
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. perch — the fish
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — a big deal

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