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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · spell · clip · fine · bark · hide · cell · prune

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — magic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tube — the underground
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fine — all right

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