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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. present — there
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — the time now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. clip — to cut

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