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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: wake · dip · patient · root · ruler · lie · ground · mug

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — to recline
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — the earth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — a cup
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a word
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. root — of a plant
  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