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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — to paddle
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. clip — a video
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — the cause
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. clip — to cut
  14. vault — a safe
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — of a plant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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