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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 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to click
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — of a word
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to sink

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