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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — to be able to
  14. face — part of the head
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to confront
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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