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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — the animal

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