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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — to cut
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mug — a cup
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — a video
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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