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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. net — for catching
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. root — of a word
  7. clip — to cut
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — a video
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. arm — part of the body

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