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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a plant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — a container
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to point toward
  17. root — the cause
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — to confront
  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