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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cold — an illness
  4. clip — to cut
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a music group
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cold — not warm
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — on the calendar

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