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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. root — the cause
  5. march — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. march — the month
  8. clip — for paper
  9. root — of a word
  10. clip — a video
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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