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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — a signal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rock — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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