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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — to dunk

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