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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cold — not warm
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — an agreement

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