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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 120 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — letters
  15. rest — a break
  16. root — of a word
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rest — what's left
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cold — an illness
  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