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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — the animal
  24. current — electric

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