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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cue — for pool
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kick — in football
  17. rest — a break
  18. snap — to click
  19. game — a match
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — the cause
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — what's left

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