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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: rock · root · bark · rest · land · tube · firm · wake

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — of a plant
  3. land — ground
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wake — before a funeral

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