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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — a permit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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