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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — a trail
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. toast — bread
  9. root — the cause
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cue — a hint
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — of water
  16. squash — to crush
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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