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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  3. roll — a list
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fall — the season
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — for paper
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  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