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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: root · mouse · ruler · clip · deal · swing · bark · snap

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — for paper
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. clip — a video
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bark — to shout
  23. root — of a word
  24. ruler — a monarch

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