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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: clip · lean · pass · mark · rule · snap · trunk · sharp

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. clip — for paper
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — a video
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rule — government
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — a law

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