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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — after costs
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — a break
  17. wake — a trail
  18. race — humankind
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — in sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  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