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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — the cause
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — to protest
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — for digging
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a word
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — a price
  24. safe — out of danger

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