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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
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: ground · jam · root · spring · cue · straw · lie · tube

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. root — the cause
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a word
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cue — for pool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — crushed
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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