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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — steady
  4. mark — a trace
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — of a plant

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