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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tube — a container
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a word
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. arm — a part of something
  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