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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rash · bank · face · arm · clip · fine · hand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. face — to confront
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. clip — for paper
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — hasty
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. face — part of the head
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — a series

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