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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · press · clip · fan · key · band · bark · hide

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — for paper
  6. band — a music group
  7. press — a publisher
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bark — to shout
  16. key — in music
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. band — a ring
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — of a plant
  24. clip — a video

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