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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. degree — an amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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