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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. spring — the season

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