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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rest · bay · pass · bowl · clip · perch · foot

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — a break
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — a video
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cell — in biology
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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