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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — to cut
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — electric
  10. face — part of the head
  11. track — a path
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — for paper
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. track — a song

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