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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. key — the most important part
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — for paper
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — in music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — a container
  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