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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — to get on
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — to cut
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a great time

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