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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — of a word
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — a series
  23. clip — for paper
  24. face — part of the head

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