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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. land — a country
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — to come down
  15. chest — a box
  16. land — ground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pass — to succeed

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