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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — a video
  3. pop — soda
  4. cue — for pool
  5. root — the cause
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. root — of a word
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — a signal

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