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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a list
  5. race — humankind
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — of the year
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bank — for money

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