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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. clip — for paper
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — a trail
  22. root — of a word
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lie — to recline

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