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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — in football
  12. pit — a hole
  13. present — a gift
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — there
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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