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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — high quality
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a face
  20. game — a match
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to click

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