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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — from a university
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cap — of ice
  10. clip — a video
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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