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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — to trim
  24. clip — to cut

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