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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. file — a line of people
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — to cut
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. last — final
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — finally
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — the fish
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. file — a document
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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