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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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468
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: cue · cell · calf · hand · spring · bound · rest · root

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cell — a phone
  12. root — of a word
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rest — a break
  16. bound — certain
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spring — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — a signal
  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