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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wax — to grow
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to click
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rule — government

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