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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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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: net · snap · mouse · foot · saw · kid · root · staff

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — a measure
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — after costs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to click
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. net — in sport

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