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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. cap — a hat
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. capital — a city
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — a trail
  14. charge — a price
  15. capital — money
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stem — to come from
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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