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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — a grade
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. clip — to cut
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — to play on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — for a lock

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