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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — to protest
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — an aim
  22. kid — to tease
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — a thing

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