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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — soda
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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