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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. land — ground
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. land — to come down
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a cake
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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