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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — a container
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. current — happening now

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