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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. track — a song
  7. clip — to cut
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. clip — a video
  24. root — of a word

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