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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tear — from crying
  9. clip — to cut
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitch — completely
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. object — a thing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. leaves — lets stay

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