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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bore — to drill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — an injury
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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