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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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