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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — the cause
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. clip — a video
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — clever
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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