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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — to cut
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. present — there
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. present — the time now
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — a gift
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. clip — for paper

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