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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kid — child
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. clip — a video
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kid — to tease
  24. clip — to cut

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