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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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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — government
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pop — soda
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pop — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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