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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. clip — to cut
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — in music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — to protest

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