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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — the cause
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — to succeed

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