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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. roll — a list
  8. clip — for paper
  9. present — there
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. clip — to cut
  24. nail — on a finger

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