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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — a video
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — low music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. clip — for paper

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