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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — a video
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. chair — to sit on
  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