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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — a video
  9. face — to confront
  10. plane — a tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — an amount
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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