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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. clip — to cut
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. present — there
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bulb — for light

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