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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — obliged
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rash — a series
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bound — certain
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  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