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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a cup
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — newspapers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a ring
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. press — to push
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — shares
  24. band — a music group

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