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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a line of people
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — to play 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