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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pass — a permit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — to get on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pit — a hole
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cap — a lid
  22. clip — a video
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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