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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — to shout
  18. tear — from crying
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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