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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. root — the cause
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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