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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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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: root · snap · scale · bulb · ground · lie · saw · straw

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. scale — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — a position
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — crushed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — of a word

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