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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stock — goods
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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