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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. march — the month
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. tear — from crying
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to click
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. root — of a word

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