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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — the 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