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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. clip — to cut
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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