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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
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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: wind · root · can · bulb · cue · leaves · arm · rock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rock — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — for pool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — the cause
  24. wind — to turn a key

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