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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a word
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. root — the cause
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — to protest
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bound — certain

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