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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. clip — to cut
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to click
  12. squash — to crush
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — thin

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