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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · root · mug · sharp · dip · cue · straw · squash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — to rob
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — the cause
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mug — a face
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — a hint
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. squash — to crush
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — of a plant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — for pool

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