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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. capital — a city
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cue — a hint
  24. clip — for paper

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