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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — to get on
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rash — on the skin

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