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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · root · snap · wake · bowl · firm · rock · cabinet

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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. rock — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — the cause

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