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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.

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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: tube · face · pass · mug · prune · swing · clip · stick

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — a video
  3. mug — a cup
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tube — the underground
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — in golf
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — to play on
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. clip — for paper
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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