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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. snap — to click
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. object — to protest
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — a phone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — in biology
  16. object — an aim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. root — the cause
  19. object — a thing
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — for light

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