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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 116 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — a container
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a great time

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