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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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Word bank
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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 · file · stick · rule · net · clip · root · mouse

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a document
  6. net — for catching
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. clip — a video
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — after costs

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