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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — humankind
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — for sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — a subject
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — farmland
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. race — the arms race
  21. root — of a word
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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