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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: pass · press · last · clip · bay · march · plane · ruler

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. last — finally
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — a video
  7. march — music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. last — final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. last — to go on
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — the month
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — to cut

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