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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — for money

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