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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — to keep track
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. roll — a list
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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