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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to click
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a hint
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spring — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — the tool

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