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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. clip — to cut
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — the season
  15. rash — a series
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. clip — for paper
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — hasty

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