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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · pop · pass · ball · clip · swing · mouse · branch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. branch — a division
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — in golf
  11. clip — a video
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. swing — music
  20. pop — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — soda
  24. clip — to cut

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