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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — to cut
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. clip — a video
  13. rock — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. hand — in cards

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