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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. root — of a word
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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