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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — an amount
  14. firm — steady
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — a video
  17. ground — a position
  18. clip — to cut
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — a company
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — the cause

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