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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — clothes
  3. current — electric
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — thin
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — to fit

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