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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — obliged
  4. clip — a video
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — a signal
  19. race — humankind
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — the arms race

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