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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. clip — a video
  5. current — electric
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — happening now
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. staff — employees
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lie — to recline

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