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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — the cause
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. root — of a word
  16. clip — a video
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — of the year
  20. branch — a division
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — a company

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