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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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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: clip · degree · file · bore · bank · mark · stem · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bore — to tire
  14. degree — an amount
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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