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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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468
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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fork — in a road
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitch — completely
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. calf — of the leg

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