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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — to keep track
  7. board — a committee
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — in a race
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — a permit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — magic

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