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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to click
  8. field — a subject
  9. chip — for betting
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. swing — in golf
  13. field — farmland
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — to play on
  23. field — for sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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