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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a cup
  7. clip — to cut
  8. land — ground
  9. clip — a video
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — there
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — the time now

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