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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 116 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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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: lie · leaves · root · pit · pound · wave · clip · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — a video
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. root — of a word
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pit — in a race

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