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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. season — of the year
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — in sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bowl — a dish

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