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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — to cut
  13. root — of a plant
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. root — the cause
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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