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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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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: kick · snap · root · row · rock · mine · scale · stand

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. snap — to click
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — in music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — for digging
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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