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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. capital — money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. clip — for paper
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — the time now
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — to cut
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. capital — a city

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