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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — the cause
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — the animal

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