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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — a permit
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chair — a leader
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — of a king

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