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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lean — thin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — for a lock
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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