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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. root — of a word
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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