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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — thin
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. shower — rain
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — size or range

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