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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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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: wind · root · rule · content · fall · wake · mark · mouse

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — the season
  4. root — of a word
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. content — happy
  24. wind — moving air

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