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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pass — a permit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — a video
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — a position
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ground — the earth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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