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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lean — to bend
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — a company
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — thin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. bore — to tire

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