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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — a container
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — a line
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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