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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ground — crushed
  20. race — a contest
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a dance

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