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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: mark · leaves · root · kid · mug · trunk · content · wake

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — to rob
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a face
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — child
  20. content — the amount
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. root — the cause

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