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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. clip — for paper
  4. key — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. clip — a video
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a tree

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