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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wake — a trail
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — a container
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. clip — to cut
  8. capital — money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — to come down
  15. tube — the underground
  16. clip — for paper
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. land — a country
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — a thing

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