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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: root · trunk · cue · lie · drill · pit · mate · lash

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a word
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a partner
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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