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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — rain
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bound — obliged
  12. clip — to cut
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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