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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — in the ear

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