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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cap — a lid
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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