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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.

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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — the most important part
  5. clip — a video
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. clip — to cut
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — for paper
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — in music
  16. root — of a word
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — for tennis

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