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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — to recline
  4. track — a song
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — to keep track

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