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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · clip · march · mouse · swing · dip · object · can

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spell — a short time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spell — magic
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. swing — to play on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. swing — music
  24. object — a thing

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