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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spell — letters
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a face
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mug — to rob
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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