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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: face · spell · clip · firm · ball · lean · spring · club

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. firm — a company
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — of water
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — decided
  10. spell — a short time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — to cut
  14. face — part of the head
  15. clip — for paper
  16. face — to confront
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spring — the season
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — to bend

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