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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: pit · chest · snap · rule · craft · firm · root · tear

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. firm — a company
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — a hole
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to click
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rule — government
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — boats
  18. tear — to rip
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chest — a box
  23. root — the cause
  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