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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. land — a country
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — to protest
  16. rash — a series
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — to cut
  21. land — ground
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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