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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — happy
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. vault — a safe
  13. present — there
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — rain
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — the amount
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — animal skin

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