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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 · kick · wake · tear · trunk · date · fine · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tear — to rip
  3. date — the fruit
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fine — high quality
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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