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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. clip — to cut
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. plane — a tool
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — to push
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — in cards

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