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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — a container
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — for paper
  18. season — in sport
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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