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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. clip — a video
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. land — to come down
  6. clip — to cut
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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