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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · wind · pitcher · root · wake · squash · fall · scale

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — of a word
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fall — the season
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. squash — to crush

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