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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: degree · suit · net · pass · lie · mouse · toast · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — for paper
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — a video
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. toast — bread
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — in sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — for catching

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