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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 · hide · can · bass · root · kid · rest · clip

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — to tease
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bass — the instrument

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