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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in biology
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. clip — a video
  12. root — of a word
  13. clip — for paper
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to click
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — in a prison

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