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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pit — a hole
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wax — for sculpting

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