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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — a law
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rule — government
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hand — help
  24. rule — to rule out

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