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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: saw · prune · cabinet · face · cell · root · clip · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — the cause
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. clip — a video
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. root — of a plant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cell — a phone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — part of the head
  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