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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: march · calf · sharp · date · pass · clip · suit · fan

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. march — the month
  4. clip — a video
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — in cards
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — to fit

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