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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 · mouse · present · root · stand · spell · trunk · cold

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — a gift
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mouse — the animal

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