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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 · mine · perch · root · rock · lean · hide · race

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a word
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. race — humankind
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — the arms race
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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