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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — a trace
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spell — magic

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