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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: clip · mine · craft · file · stand · pass · swing · mouse

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. clip — for paper
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — boats
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — to play on
  17. clip — a video
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — an explosive

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