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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: pass · staff · fork · rash · clip · bank · pop · last

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pop — to visit
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — final
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — employees
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — to go on
  24. fork — in a road

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