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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. 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. wake — a trail
  3. clip — to cut
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. last — final
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. root — of a word
  13. last — finally
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. clip — for paper
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. 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