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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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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 · root · cabinet · snap · rule · patient · mark · bat

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — a line
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rule — a law
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. root — of a word
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to click
  24. rule — government

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