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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — a hole
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — government
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. clip — a video
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — a company
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — to rest against

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