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

Word bank: bowl · tear · root · roll · snap · cell · leaves · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — a list
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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