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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. craft — a skill
  7. clip — for paper
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. clip — a video
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — the cause
  16. cell — in biology
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. craft — boats
  24. mark — to pay attention

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