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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — steady
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. firm — a company
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — decided
  11. present — there
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — the time now
  19. toast — bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. clip — to cut
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. present — a gift
  24. tear — to rip

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