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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mate — a friend
  6. key — in music
  7. root — the cause
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a signal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — a hint
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — dry grass

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