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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. cold — not warm
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cold — an illness
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a line
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. track — a path
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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