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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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — a thing
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — an aim
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — hurry

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