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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. clip — a video
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — the animal
  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