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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. root — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — electric
  10. fork — in a road
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chest — a box
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. clip — for paper

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