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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: lean · cue · wave · temple · clip · root · band · cap

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. clip — to cut
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a music group
  18. clip — a video
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — of the sea

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