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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 116 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: fork · kid · rest · root · mate · wake · spell · face

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — a short time
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — child
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — a friend

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