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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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. clip — to cut
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — electricity
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — a line
  16. band — a ring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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