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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: cap · mark · root · straw · bay · wave · lie · wake

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. root — the cause
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a hat

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