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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · root · hand · lie · swing · rush · hide · cue

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — help
  3. cue — for pool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. swing — to play on
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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