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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. clip — for paper
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. row — a line
  11. present — a gift
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — to paddle
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — the fish
  18. snap — to click
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stand — to bear

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