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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. clip — a video
  3. mate — to breed
  4. clip — for paper
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rule — government
  14. clip — to cut
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — certain
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. toast — bread
  24. rule — a law

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