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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. toast — bread
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — a weight
  24. dip — to dunk

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