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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · ball · dip · clip · pass · mark · rash · perch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a trace

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