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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cell — in biology
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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