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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — a video
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. present — there
  8. clip — for paper
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. snap — to click
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — to protest
  20. fall — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pass — to succeed

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