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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. firm — steady
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — in sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — decided
  13. clip — to cut
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — a company
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — to fit
  24. root — the cause

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