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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a word
  14. ground — crushed
  15. face — to confront
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — the earth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — part of the head
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — what's left

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