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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. last — final
  4. hand — help
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cue — for pool

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