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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bound — certain
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a grade
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mate — a partner

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