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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 120 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: rest · mark · track · hide · stick · cabinet · prune · clip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. clip — to cut
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a song
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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