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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — a permit
  6. object — a thing
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — a series
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — to cut
  21. object — an aim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. clip — a video

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