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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: deal · perch · pass · face · clip · track · straw · kick

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. clip — a video
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — to handle
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. perch — the fish
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. clip — to cut
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kick — with a leg

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