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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: wake · capital · staff · root · lean · roll · bat · cap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. roll — a list
  12. cap — of ice
  13. root — of a word
  14. capital — money
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — thin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a city
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — the cause
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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