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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — a song
  15. object — a thing
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — an aim
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — to protest

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