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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — the season
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spring — a coil
  14. object — an aim
  15. root — the cause
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — of water
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a word
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — after costs

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