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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — obliged
  8. clip — to cut
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. squash — to crush
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bound — tied together
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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