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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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. mug — a face
  4. season — in sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mug — to rob
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — to cut

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