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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: cell · root · track · rock · fall · snap · pit · perch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to click
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — the cause
  10. rock — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — the season
  17. root — of a word
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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