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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — to cut
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — of the year
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fork — a garden tool

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