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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. clip — a video
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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