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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitch · bound · pass · tube · toast · lean · band

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. lean — thin
  2. bound — certain
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a music group
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — a video
  21. toast — bread
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tube — a container
  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