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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. clip — to cut
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bore — to tire
  15. field — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — to trim
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — clothes

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