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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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Word bank
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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. spring — a coil
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spring — of water
  5. clip — for paper
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. scale — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — to push
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  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