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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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Word bank
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. root — of a word
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mark — a grade
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — the underground
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — music
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mate — a friend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — a container
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cold — the Cold War

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