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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · root · spring · safe · cue · track · last · cap

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cap — a lid
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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