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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — the cause
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. clip — to cut
  15. staff — a stick
  16. clip — for paper
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a line of people
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a document
  24. ruler — for measuring

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