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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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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: ball · prune · rest · staff · clip · toast · wind · bulb

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wind — moving air
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — a break
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. toast — bread
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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