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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. file — a document
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. wax — to grow

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