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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. clip — for paper
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — help
  23. clip — to cut
  24. board — a committee

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