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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a word
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — the cause

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