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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: content · coach · face · bulb · snap · prune · clip · cue

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — a video
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — for paper
  8. content — the amount
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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