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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — the season
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — for paper
  24. face — to point toward

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