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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. press — to push
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. march — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — a break
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — to drill
  18. march — the month
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ruler — for measuring

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