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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — part of the head
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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