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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — a list
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — a friend
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bore — to drill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mate — to breed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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