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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — an aim
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — to protest
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — a video
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a word
  21. drill — army training
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — clothes

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