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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a word
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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