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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 120 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: wind · bear · craft · pit · stem · root · rest · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. root — the cause
  3. craft — boats
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. clip — for paper
  21. root — of a word
  22. craft — a skill
  23. root — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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