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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: cell · safe · ball · snap · rock · drill · root · clip

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — a stone
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cell — in biology
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. cell — a phone

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