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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. can — to be able to
  9. object — an aim
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rock — music
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — low music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — a thing
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — a measure
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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