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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. roll — a list
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — side of the head
  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