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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. race — humankind
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. race — the arms race
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cap — a lid

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