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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — a hint
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a path
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — the cause
  20. bark — to shout
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a signal

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