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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — to cut
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — to recline
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wind — moving air

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