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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. clip — for paper
  8. suit — clothes
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. swing — music
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of law
  16. object — a thing
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — to rob
  19. swing — to play on
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — to fit

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