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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 is an ace ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — an aim
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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