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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: snap · racket · dip · root · bound · mug · object · last

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — obliged
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. root — of a word
  7. object — a thing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. last — finally
  10. mug — a face
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — final
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — to go on
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — an aim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a plant

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