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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. clip — to cut
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to click
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a list
  16. rock — a stone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fan — to cool the air

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