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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · pop · trunk · pit · clip · staff · toast · spell

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — bread
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — army training
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — soda
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. drill — a practice
  22. clip — for paper
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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