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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. file — a document
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. season — in sport
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — of the year
  20. kick — in football
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — to be able to

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