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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. roll — a list
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — clothes
  24. calf — a young animal

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