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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · patient · leaves · root · sharp · perch · pop · bat

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — the cause
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — clever

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