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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 · fine · current · key · pass · land · cell · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — happening now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cell — a phone
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. clip — to cut
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. land — ground
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — all right
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fine — a penalty

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