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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — the cause
  7. snap — to click
  8. mate — a friend
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — of a word
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — low music

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