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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. chip — for betting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — to point toward
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — clever

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