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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — for paper
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — to handle
  19. clip — a video
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. deal — a big deal

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