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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — in biology
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. clip — to cut
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. safe — out of danger

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