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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: rest · root · cue · cap · trunk · spring · mouse · stick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spring — the season
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — a signal
  15. root — the cause
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mouse — for a computer

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