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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — to go on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a plant
  15. current — happening now
  16. clip — a video
  17. last — final
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. foot — the bottom

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