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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — for paper
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. perch — the fish

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