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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — humankind
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — for paper
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — the tool
  24. clip — to cut

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