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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — for paper
  13. game — a match
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — a contest
  21. cue — a hint
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. game — a kind of play

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