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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 116 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 · clip · wave · pop · fan · field · bank · coach

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — soda
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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