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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.

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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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. root — the cause
  3. snap — to click
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. capital — a city
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. root — of a word

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