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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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