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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. face — to confront
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. root — of a word
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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