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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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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: mouse · wind · wave · pitch · root · vault · snap · leaves

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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 — of a word
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitch — a sports field

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