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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — help
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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