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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — for paper
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to confront
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. craft — boats
  24. chest — of your body

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