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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
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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: mouse · staff · bear · pass · clip · squash · march · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — to crush
  11. clip — for paper
  12. march — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. clip — to cut
  24. sharp — exactly

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