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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. snap — to click
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mate — to breed
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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