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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 120 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: file · bulb · branch · fine · craft · clip · pass · mark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pass — a permit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. clip — to cut
  17. file — a document
  18. fine — all right
  19. craft — boats
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — a video

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