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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mate — a partner
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mate — a friend
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bowl — to roll

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