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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — the cause
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. clip — a video
  9. bass — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. root — of a word
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cell — in a prison

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