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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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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — high quality
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. root — of a word
  20. snap — to click
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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