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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: dip · bore · root · clip · snap · rash · hide · mouse

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. snap — to click
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — of a plant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. clip — a video
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — to sink

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