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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. clip — to cut
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — rain
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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