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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pass · clip · pitcher · hand · calf · pit · stand · face

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to point toward
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — help

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