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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rash — a series
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. clip — to cut
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — for paper
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a path

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