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

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. present — there
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — a garden tool

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