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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. root — the cause
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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