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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — of the year
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — for paper

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