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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — a video
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a word
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — a break
  23. root — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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