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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — after costs
  7. land — ground
  8. net — in sport
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — a break
  12. clip — for paper
  13. net — for catching
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — a country
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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