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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. root — the cause
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pass — to spend time

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