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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. present — the time now
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — there

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