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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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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: present · pass · fall · branch · stick · clip · lash · pound

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. clip — a video
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — the season
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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