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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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. cell — in biology
  3. snap — to click
  4. root — of a word
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. root — of a plant
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. arm — a part of something

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