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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · hide · staff · march · clip · pit · root · prune

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — in a race
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. staff — employees
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. root — of a word
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mug — to rob
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mug — a face
  18. staff — a stick
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — a video
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — music
  24. prune — 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