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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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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: saw · cell · bay · can · root · cue · sharp · chest

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chest — a box
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — the cause
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — in biology
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a word
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. saw — the tool

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