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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a word
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — magic
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. clip — to cut
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spell — letters

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