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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — employees
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a song
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — clothes
  7. clip — to cut
  8. suit — to fit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — a stick
  19. land — to come down
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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