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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · suit · mark · clip · march · tube · cold · trunk

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — the underground
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. key — in music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — the month
  24. key — the most important part

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