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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. field — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. field — a subject
  12. clip — a video
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. lean — thin

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