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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. wake — a trail
  3. rock — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cap — of ice
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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