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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to drill
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — magic
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — gave birth

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