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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stem — to come from
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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