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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: cue · wave · cabinet · root · content · date · land · wake

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wake — a trail
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — the cause
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — ground
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — a country

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