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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. clip — for paper
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — part of the head
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. craft — boats
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spell — letters
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to confront
  18. spell — magic
  19. rush — hurry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. foot — part of the body

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