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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — thin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — a video
  11. season — in sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — boats
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. clip — to cut
  23. season — of the year
  24. bowl — a dish

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