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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — low music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kick — in football
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bass — the instrument

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