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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — to cut
  4. track — a path
  5. firm — decided
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — for paper
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stand — to bear
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — a company
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a song
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a document
  24. can — to be able to

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