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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 · tear · band · vault · race · root · fan · mouse

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a signal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. root — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. root — the cause
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — a safe
  23. band — a music group
  24. fan — a supporter

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