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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — of a plant
  11. clip — a video
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — for catching
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. pop — to visit
  24. root — of a word

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