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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fork — in a road
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. kick — in football
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. content — happy

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