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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · clip · rule · mug · snap · hide · degree · coach

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rule — a law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to click
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — a video
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mug — a face
  21. rule — government
  22. degree — from a university
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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