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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — hasty

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