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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — the fish
  6. clip — a video
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — the amount
  17. pass — a permit
  18. content — happy
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. clip — to cut

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