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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. root — the cause
  3. net — for catching
  4. chest — of your body
  5. band — a ring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — a box
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — of a word
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a rubber band

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