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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. pop — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — the cause
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rest — a break
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — soda
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pop — to visit
  21. snap — to click
  22. shower — to wash
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — what's left

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