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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — thin
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fall — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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