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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — a committee
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — size or range
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. arm — part of the body
  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