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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — the season
  4. mug — a face
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pass — a permit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. dip — to sink
  13. clip — a video
  14. mug — a cup
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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