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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. clip — a video
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rock — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chest — a box
  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