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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. content — the amount
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — to point toward
  9. band — a ring
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. clip — to cut
  13. band — a music group
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — to confront
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. clip — for paper
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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