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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. clip — a video
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — to confront
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — a permit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — low music

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