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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.

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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fall — to drop
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kick — in football
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a leader

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