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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hand — help
  3. spring — the season
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spring — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. firm — steady
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rule — a law
  14. current — of water
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — a signal
  24. firm — a company

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