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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — a trace
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — shares
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fall — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — goods
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — for paper
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — finally
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — final
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spring — the season

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