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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — for betting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chip — to eat
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — newspapers
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — in a computer

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