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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: root · roll · bore · branch · wake · fall · snap · safe

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — a division
  16. roll — a cake
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. roll — a list
  24. bore — to tire

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