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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spring — the season
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — to cut
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — for paper
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. clip — a video
  24. spring — a coil

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