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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. plane — a tool
  22. clip — to cut
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wax — to grow

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