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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — a lid
  9. clip — for paper
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — in football
  22. clip — a video
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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