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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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 word
  2. present — a gift
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cue — for pool
  9. present — there
  10. mug — a face
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — the time now
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cold — not warm
  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