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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. clip — to cut
  7. root — of a word
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. object — an aim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a great time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. object — to protest
  19. spring — of water
  20. root — of a plant
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a round shape

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