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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — in a road
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. root — of a word
  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