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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.

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: toast · pitcher · game · pass · calf · clip · stick · lie

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — wild animals
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. clip — a video

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