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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bulb — for light
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. clip — to cut
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. present — the time now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. board — to get on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. present — a gift
  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