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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 116 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 ________________ for us to be here?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — soda
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. clip — to cut

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