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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a face
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. file — a tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spring — the season
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spring — of water
  21. snap — to click
  22. root — of a word
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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