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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — to play on
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a ring
  6. swing — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — in golf
  9. clip — to cut
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — of the sea

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