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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — of a word
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — a video
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a document
  12. clip — to cut
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. file — a line of people
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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