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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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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. clip — to cut
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mate — a friend
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. net — for catching
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chair — to sit on

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