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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — to point toward
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — to visit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — soda
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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