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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pound — a weight
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — the fruit
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. content — happy
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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