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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — a subject
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — the cause
  10. last — to go on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — final
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. root — of a word
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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