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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a music group
  4. present — the time now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a plant
  7. present — there
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — a break
  10. clip — a video
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — to handle
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — for a lock
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. clip — to cut
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — a gift

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