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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. last — to go on
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — final
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — in music
  15. spring — of water
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — to cut
  23. suit — to fit
  24. clip — for paper

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