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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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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: current · pass · clip · lean · straw · wound · face · pit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. current — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — a video
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. current — happening now
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. current — electric
  23. face — to confront
  24. clip — for paper

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