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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. clip — a video
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — in music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — clever
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. sharp — exactly

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