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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — letters
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. clip — to cut
  24. prune — the fruit

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