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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — the tool
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kick — in football
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — to spend time

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