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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. object — an aim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. snap — to click
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fork — in a road
  13. object — a thing
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a word
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. object — to protest
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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