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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.

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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to click
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — low music
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — to come from
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a word
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — to tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bore — to drill
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. nail — for a hammer

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