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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. swing — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pit — in a race
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kid — child
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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