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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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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: saw · pass · clip · field · toast · lie · staff · perch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — a permit
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. staff — employees
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. perch — the fish

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