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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — the cause
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. calf — of the leg

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