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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. rule — government
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — a thrill

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