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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. clip — to cut
  12. capital — a city
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. capital — money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — happening now
  23. lean — thin
  24. clip — for paper

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