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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — a trail
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — steady
  10. mark — a trace
  11. present — there
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — to tire

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