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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — for paper
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kid — child
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. sharp — exactly

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