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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · dip · pop · wind · season · coach · suit · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. clip — to cut
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wind — moving air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — in football
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. suit — to fit

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