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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a face
  5. tear — to rip
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. root — of a word
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — the cause
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tear — from crying
  16. clip — a video
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a music group
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — a series

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