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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 120 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: bay · clip · current · squash · pop · suit · bear · root

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — soda
  4. squash — to crush
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — to fit
  14. clip — a video
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — the cause
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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