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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 · hide · snap · swing · degree · cap · rock · wave

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — a hat
  5. degree — temperature
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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