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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: wake · pass · rule · clip · fan · content · stick · field

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — a law
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. field — for sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. pass — a permit
  16. content — the amount
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. clip — a video
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. content — happy
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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