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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — a series
  3. cap — of ice
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — a hat
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bass — low music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. clip — a video
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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