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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. 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. clip — to cut
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. capital — money
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. file — a document
  17. clip — a video
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. file — a tool
  24. 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