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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — to handle
  7. clip — a video
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. clip — to cut
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — a path
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. prune — the fruit

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