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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — a law
  15. clip — for paper
  16. last — finally
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. last — final

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