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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 116 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — a face
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bat — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. cap — of ice
  21. clip — for paper
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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