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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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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: kid · land · clip · can · hide · wake · race · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — a country
  9. wake — a trail
  10. clip — for paper
  11. land — ground
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. race — a contest

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