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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — all right
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — for paper
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fall — the season
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cap — a hat

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