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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. roll — a list
  11. clip — to cut
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. clip — a video
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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