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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. band — a music group
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a ring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. clip — to cut
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — to come down
  21. saw — the tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — a partner
  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