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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. key — for a lock
  4. field — a subject
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — in music
  17. field — farmland
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — for light

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