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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 116 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. spell — magic
  2. clip — to cut
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mark — a trace
  8. root — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — government
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a word
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rule — a law
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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