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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — an aim
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — a company
  10. clip — for paper
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. degree — temperature
  13. object — to protest
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. plane — an aircraft

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