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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: cue · club · wave · root · cap · race · face · present

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. present — there
  5. race — the arms race
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — for golf
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. race — a contest
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cap — a lid
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — of ice
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — the time now
  23. cap — a hat
  24. club — for dancing

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