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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. track — a path
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ground — a position
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — of water
  16. clip — a video
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ground — crushed

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