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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rock — a stone
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — ground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — a hat
  19. land — to come down
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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