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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — a hint
  3. clip — to cut
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. content — the amount
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — happy
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — a trail
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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