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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. key — in music
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a grade
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. clip — a video
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — the underground

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