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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — to get on
  4. root — of a word
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. snap — to click
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. net — for catching
  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