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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. root — of a word
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — of a plant

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