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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to click
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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