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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — to grow
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. firm — a company
  24. track — to keep track

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