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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. clip — to cut
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cell — a phone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — to bear

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