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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — army training
  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