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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cold — not warm
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. clip — a video
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. hand — in cards
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — to cut

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