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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. root — the cause
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. swing — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. clip — for paper
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. root — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. kid — child
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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