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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — final
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — a hole
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. coach — a trainer

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