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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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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 · stand · prune · temple · stick · swing · arm · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. clip — a video
  3. swing — music
  4. track — a path
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — to play on
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stand — to bear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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