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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. net — for catching
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a music group
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rest — a break
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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