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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. clip — a video
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. clip — for paper
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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