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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: can · suit · wound · cell · root · last · snap · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a word
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — finally
  16. snap — to click
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — final
  19. can — a tin
  20. root — the cause
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — to be able to

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