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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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cue — a hint
  6. file — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a ring
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. file — a line of people
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. file — a document
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mouse — the animal

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