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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. roll — a list
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wound — an injury
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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