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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 124 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — the cause
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a ring
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. root — of a word
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a music group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. object — to protest
  21. clip — for paper
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — to move gently

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