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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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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: bay · calf · firm · march · hide · row · object · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — for paper
  14. firm — steady
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a line
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — to paddle

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