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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 · foot · bear · mouse · jam · ball · clip · chest

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — a video
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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