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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. object — a thing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — of the year
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — to protest
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kick — in football
  24. clip — a video

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