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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — a series
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rash — on the skin

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