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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kid — child
  4. kick — in football
  5. snap — to click
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — a skill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. toast — bread

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