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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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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: clip · calf · chip · lie · prune · club · safe · cold

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — an illness
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — a group
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cold — not warm
  16. chip — for betting
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — to trim

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