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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — the fish
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a hole
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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