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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. clip — a video
  3. mug — a face
  4. ground — the earth
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — to rob
  8. staff — employees
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — crushed
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — the season
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — goods
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — a permit

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