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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — a break
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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