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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. clip — for paper
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. clip — to cut
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. suit — in cards
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — the fish

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