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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rash — hasty
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — the amount
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rash — a series
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — a weight

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