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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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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: deal · mate · snap · spring · cue · face · root · fan

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — of water
  8. root — of a word
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — to handle
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — part of the head

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