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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — a video

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