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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · clip · mouse · can · rash · rock · bay · pass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — a stone
  5. clip — a video
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — a series
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — hasty
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — on the skin

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