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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. clip — a video
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — there
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. present — a gift
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bulb — of a plant

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