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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. clip — to cut
  3. land — ground
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to succeed

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