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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: ground · wind · cell · cue · wave · arm · root · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. root — of a word
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mug — to rob

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