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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. game — wild animals
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mug — a cup
  6. season — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. mug — to rob
  10. charge — in control
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — of the year
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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