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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a path
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — a permit

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