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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: pass · mate · cap · rush · ground · clip · current · chest

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ground — a position
  6. current — of water
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. current — happening now
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — to breed

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