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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 120 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: clip · pass · temple · pitch · key · calf · board · wave

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — completely
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pass — a permit
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. clip — to cut
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a committee

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