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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. clip — for paper

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