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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — a short time
  19. root — of a word
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — to put up with

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