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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. present — a gift
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — for paper
  21. field — for sport
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pitch — a sports field

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