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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. clip — for paper
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. clip — a video
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — a break
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. march — the month
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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