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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a friend

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