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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. clip — for paper
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a document
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pop — soda
  18. cap — a lid
  19. clip — a video
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pop — music

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