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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tear · squash · coach · pass · bank · bulb · pitcher

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — a video
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pass — to spend time

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