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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. clip — to cut
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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