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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. clip — for paper
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — to cut
  15. track — a song
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — a thing
  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