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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. clip — a video
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — a gift
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — a measure
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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