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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: row · hide · toast · scale · wax · snap · root · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — a phone
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to click
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. toast — bread

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