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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mine — for digging
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. squash — to crush
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. clip — for paper

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