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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · root · bay · safe · charge · clip · pitcher · roll

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — electricity
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — of a plant

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