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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. clip — a video
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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