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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — electricity
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lie — to recline
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — a price
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — to cut

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