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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — a video
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — a country
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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