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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a word
  12. foot — a measure
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. clip — a video
  24. bulb — for light

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