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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: saw · pass · cap · hand · clip · bank · firm · chair

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hand — in cards
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — a video
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — decided
  19. hand — help
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bank — for money

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