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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — to cut
  8. prune — to trim
  9. clip — a video
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a hat
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. cap — a lid
  24. prune — to trim

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