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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. clip — a video
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — a face
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. charge — a price
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — in control
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — a permit

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