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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — of a word
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — the cause
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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