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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — a committee
  11. chair — a leader
  12. staff — a stick
  13. root — of a plant
  14. clip — to cut
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lean — thin
  24. can — a tin

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