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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: pass · board · hide · pitcher · clip · wound · spring · press

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. clip — a video
  6. spring — the season
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spring — a coil
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — of water

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