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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — in cards
  12. root — of a plant
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. last — to go on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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