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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — in control
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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