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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.

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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: clip · mug · root · dip · nail · bay · snap · rule

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — a video
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to click
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to dunk

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