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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pound — a weight
  3. clip — for paper
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — in sport
  20. spring — the season
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — to confront

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