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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. pop — soda
  4. rash — a series
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. clip — a video
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — music
  24. clip — to cut

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