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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 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. 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. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — to cut
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. 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