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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: bound · last · bass · can · lash · mouse · clip · present

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — a gift
  6. clip — a video
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. last — final
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. clip — for paper
  17. present — there
  18. bound — certain
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — the time now
  23. mouse — the animal
  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