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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. spring — a coil
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  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