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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a skill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — a friend
  14. last — finally
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — a supporter

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