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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cue — a signal
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — for sculpting

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