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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. shower — rain
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — a division
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — to bear
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — a break

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