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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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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: trunk · snap · clip · track · key · bowl · cap · coach

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — in music
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cap — a hat
  21. clip — to cut
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. clip — for paper

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