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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — a skill
  7. charge — in control
  8. suit — to fit
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — army training
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — boats
  16. suit — clothes
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — for paper
  21. drill — the tool
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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