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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.

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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: staff · jam · clip · pass · rest · can · land · trunk

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. clip — a video
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — to be able to
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. staff — employees

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