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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. clip — a video
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rest — a break
  14. band — a ring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  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