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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chest — a box
  13. clip — for paper
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a flat piece

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