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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 116 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — with your hand

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