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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — a face
  5. mate — to breed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — a video
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — there
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. present — the time now
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — a gift
  23. staff — a stick
  24. clip — for paper

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