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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — of the year
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. season — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. clip — to cut
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to succeed

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