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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · plane · mug · tear · calf · pass · rush · clip

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — a permit
  13. clip — a video
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. clip — for paper
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mug — a face
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pass — to spend time

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