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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. kid — to tease
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. pop — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — to be able to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. face — to confront

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