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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — clothes
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — the season

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