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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 124 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — to breed
  7. clip — for paper
  8. degree — an amount
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — a video
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pass — a permit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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