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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. snap — to click
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — a division
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — a container
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a signal

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