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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — a video
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — to push
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. clip — to cut
  16. root — of a word
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. clip — for paper
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — a publisher

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