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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — to confront
  4. rest — a break
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — in music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — a signal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — for pool

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