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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: root · mug · face · saw · cell · object · race · snap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. object — to protest
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. race — humankind
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — a thing
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to confront
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. race — the arms race
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. mug — to rob
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a word
  24. cell — a phone

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