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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · key · date · pass · perch · root · clip · cell

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cell — in biology
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — for paper
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — the most important part
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — a video
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — a phone
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. date — the fruit

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