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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: calf · bound · wake · branch · file · pitcher · pass · clip

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — a video
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pass — a permit
  24. file — a tool

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