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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. tear — to rip
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — a thing
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — from crying
  13. file — a line of people
  14. clip — to cut
  15. club — for dancing
  16. firm — steady
  17. club — a group
  18. firm — decided
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. file — a document
  24. firm — a company

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