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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — boats
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bound — tied together
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bound — obliged
  24. coach — a trainer

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