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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — the cause
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. root — of a word
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. object — a thing
  24. root — of a plant

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