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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a path
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a song
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rest — what's left

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