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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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