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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — a container
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — in control
  12. clip — for paper
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — to cut
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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