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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — to protest
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — a break
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — a thing
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — part of the body

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