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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tear — to rip
  3. net — for catching
  4. foot — a measure
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — for paper
  12. net — after costs
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — a song
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tear — from crying

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