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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — for paper
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — hurry
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — decided
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — a company
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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