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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: date · root · rash · stand · object · squash · cue · nail

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a hint
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — to protest
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rash — a series
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — an aim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a word
  24. date — the fruit

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