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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. prune — to trim
  7. clip — to cut
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — a division
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — to point toward
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pass — to spend time

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