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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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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. face — to confront
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pass — a permit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pass — to spend time

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