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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: suit · club · stick · clip · lie · root · chest · kid

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. root — of a word
  5. chest — a box
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chest — of your body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. kid — to tease
  10. root — the cause
  11. suit — to fit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lie — to recline
  17. club — a group
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — a video
  21. kid — child
  22. club — for golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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