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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. clip — a video
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. branch — a division
  8. clip — for paper
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — happy
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — boats
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — to cut
  24. content — the amount

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