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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — the cause
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — for catching

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