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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — the cause
  3. fork — in a road
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. present — there
  13. clip — to cut
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — of water
  20. present — the time now
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — a video
  24. current — happening now

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