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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — a video
  3. scale — in music
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. scale — size or range

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