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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — to cut
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. club — for dancing
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — to rob
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for golf

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