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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kick — in football
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — there
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — to protest
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — a gift

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