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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a path
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. root — of a word
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wake — a trail
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — the cause
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — decided
  21. cue — for pool
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — a song
  24. root — of a plant

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