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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — child
  5. object — a thing
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — an aim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spring — of water
  17. clip — to cut
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — to protest

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