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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. file — a document
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — hurry
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — the season
  9. file — a tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — there

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