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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tube — a container
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. clip — to cut
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lean — thin
  9. board — a committee
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bass — the fish
  14. roll — a list
  15. bass — low music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. content — happy
  20. tube — the underground
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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