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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. clip — to cut
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. object — to protest
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — a permit
  10. object — a thing
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. clip — a video
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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