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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. net — after costs
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — for paper
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — for catching
  24. staff — employees

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