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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. root — of a word
  22. pit — a hole
  23. clip — a video
  24. safe — out of danger

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