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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. clip — a video
  14. face — to point toward
  15. clip — for paper
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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