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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 120 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: safe · pass · lean · rest · cue · root · fan · wind

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. root — the cause
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cue — a hint

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